UK Automotive and Components Sector
Debate between Lord Beamish and Lord Leong(2Â weeks, 2Â days ago)
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Lord Leong (Lab)
My Lords, the United Kingdom is a trading nation—we trade with every country across the world. We are doing free trade deals right across the globe, the recent one, obviously, being with India and with the Gulf countries. We are a trading nation, and we have to support our manufacturers and companies to trade seamlessly and easily throughout the world.
Lord Beamish (Lab)
My Lords, I begin by declaring an interest in that, like the Minister, I own a Jaguar Land Rover car. The Minister said that government procurement should be competitive, but in France or Germany, for example, no government Minister would get in a foreign-made car. What more can the Government do centrally on procurement, but also in insisting, for example, that local authorities and police forces buy British?
Lord Leong (Lab)
I assure my noble friend that in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, all our ministerial cars are manufactured in the United Kingdom. I am sure that I speak for other departments as well.
Fujitsu: Post Office Horizon Case
Debate between Lord Beamish and Lord Leong
Lord Leong (Lab)
My Lords, the anger shown by the noble Lord, which I share, is completely understandable, considering the serious injustice experienced by so many sub-postmasters. These are exactly the issues that the independent inquiry is examining in detail. Fujitsu has acknowledged a moral obligation to contribute to the costs of redress, and the Government have made it absolutely clear that it should do so. Decisions regarding its future role as a government supplier will be made carefully, based on the full findings of the inquiry.
Lord Beamish (Lab)
My Lords, the situation outlined by my good friend, the noble Lord, Lord Arbuthnot, is right. Fujitsu provided the equipment for the Post Office and knew what was wrong with it, and, even worse, it had a contract to provide information in court to prosecute individual postmasters. Fujitsu was at the centre of this scandal.
My noble friend said that Fujitsu has announced that it has a moral obligation. Well, moral obligations do not pay bills. The taxpayer is on the hook already for over £1.4 billion paid out. Those postmasters—some, unfortunately, are no longer with us—need answers to this injustice. Fujitsu is hiding behind the inquiry. It could make the interim payment now. The Government must stop giving this company contracts: that is the only thing which will stop it and wake it up. Can my noble friend indicate when that decision will be made to stop giving Fujitsu work?
Lord Leong (Lab)
I share the frustrations my noble friend expresses. The Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that this inquiry takes place, and the findings will be published soon. As he will note, the first volume of the inquiry has been published, and it makes it clear that Fujitsu has an obligation to make compensation for the sufferings of all these postmasters. We are determined to ensure that Fujitsu plays its part.